PLEASANTON, CA – ValleyCare Health System has earned the Joint Commission's Gold Seal of Approvaltm for its Joint Replacement Programs for Hips and Knees

ValleyCare's Joint Replacement Institute recently underwent a rigorous survey. A team of Commission surveyors evaluated ValleyCare for compliance with national standards of care for health care quality and safety in joint replacement specific to the needs of patients and families.

"In achieving Joint Commission certification, ValleyCare's Joint Replacement Institute has demonstrated its commitment to the highest level of care for its patients undergoing hip and knee replacement," says Jean Range, MS, RN, CPHQ executive director, Disease-Specific Care Certification, The Joint Commission. "Certification is a voluntary process and I commend ValleyCare for successfully undertaking this challenge to elevate its standard of care and instill confidence in the community it serves."

Under the direction of Dr. Aaron Salyapongse, Medical Director of ValleyCare's Joint Replacement Institute, ValleyCare is revolutionizing hip and knee replacement surgeries, allowing patients to stay active and continue doing what they love. "When you have pain, simple activities of daily living become miserable," says Dr. Salyapongse. "The latest techniques in hip and knee surgery alleviates the pain for patients."

ANTERIOR HIP REPLACEMENT

One of the innovative orthopedic procedures performed at ValleyCare Medical Center is anterior hip replacement. Referring to the direction in which the hip is approached during surgery, this method allows hip replacement to be done from the front of the joint without cutting muscles allowing for a faster and easier recovery process.

CUSTOMIZED KNEE REPLACEMENT

ValleyCare was the first center in Northern California to offer DePuy Orthopedics TruMatch® Personalized Solutions for knee replacement. This technology helps to ensure that precise sizing and alignment is achieved for each individual patient. This offers the potential for a longer lasting and better functioning joint over time.

The Joint Commission's Disease-Specific Care Certification Program is designed to evaluate clinical programs across a continuum of care. Certification requirements address three core areas: compliance with consensus-based national standards; effective use of evidence-based clinical practice guidelines to manage and optimize care; and an organized approach to performance measurement and improvement activities. The Joint Commission is the nation's oldest and largest standards-setting and accrediting body in health care. Learn more about the The Joint Commission at www.jointcommission.org.

"With Joint Commission certification, we are making a significant investment in our quality on a day-to-day basis," says ValleyCare CEO Marcy Feit. "Receiving this certification for hip and knee replacement is a major step toward maintaining excellence and continually improving the care we provide."